A great film that came out 14 years ago was Pay it Forward where the plot involved a challenge to pupils in a class to do three favours to help people complete something they would not otherwise be able to do and with no expectation of any return.

As well as offering the gift, the giver also offers an invitation for the recipient to go away and aim to do favours to three other people, hence the name of the film, Pay it Forward.

Recent events in Hinckley don’t quite follow the plot of Pay it Forward but there have been some generous acts of giving going on, resulting in the incredible opportunity for people in the East Midlands to watch the 2013 UK Number One Katherine Jenkins Tribute Act, performed by Tamsin Killen.

International star Tamsin married Paul at St Mary’s Church last year and this newspaper reports how she was so touched by the unconditional hospitality and care she believes they received that she wanted to ‘pay it forward’ and offer the gift of performing a concert, with proceeds going towards the upkeep of Hinckley’s oldest, grandest building.

The concert will start at 7.30 pm on Thursday at St Mary’s Church. A licensed bar will be open before the concert and during the interval. Tickets, at £10 – a fraction of the normal cost of watching Tamsin in action - can be bought online, www.stmaryshinckley.co.uk , at St Mary's Church Coffee Bar or, space permitting, on the door!

I can’t wait for St Mary’s Church to be filled with glamour, beauty, grace and joy as we are treated to the very best of Katherine Jenkins on Thursday evening. I love the observation that this generous gift comes from a cycle of appreciation, honouring and generosity to one another.

And all of this reminds me of the vision of God and the dreams of humankind. Christianity always starts with the conviction that God has a loving purpose for the universe God has created; that God generously and unconditionally pours out love and grace into our lives; that God will carry on loving us come what may, so much so not even death stops God’s capacity to reach out to us with love and new life. This unconditional ‘pay it forward’ love of God gives humankind a dream.

Our dream is for a world where we are driven by the common good over our own good, where we find more blessing in giving than in receiving, where debt and charge is replaced with grace and gift where love and forgiveness triumphs over hatred and resentment.

So if you have not watched Pay it Forward it is well worth a night in. If you haven’t yet booked your place at the concert, do come along for an amazing event. And as we do either or both of these, let’s remember the picture they give us of the God of pay it forward love for everyone, for ever.